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Abnormal Leadership

All three were great leaders. Two created stellar companies. One created a movement that has spanned 2,000 years.

What else did these three leaders have in common?

Image by Francisco Huguenin-Virchaux Uhlfelder

They all went about leadership in an unconventional way. They broke from the normal and created a new path.

Richard Branson goes the distance to impress prospective customers. Backstage, before a speaking engagement, he approached Guy Kawasaki and asked him if he flew on Virgin Airlines. When Guy answered no, Richard gets on his knees and starts to polish Guy’s shoes with his jacket.

That’s not normal.

Steve Jobs created a juggernaut of a company with Apple. Coming up with the concepts of the iPod, iPad, etc. The company rose to astronomical heights. And he did it without focus groups. He broke with the conventional thought that you had to listen to your customers. He realized people didn’t know what they wanted until it was in their hands.

That’s not normal.

Jesus. Now Jesus could be seen as quite the oddity. He turned the other cheek. He spit in the mud and rubbed it into the eyes of a blind man. He touched people who were untouchable. He let his good friend Lazarus die.

That’s not normal.

To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.
–Carlos Castaneda

And your leadership shouldn’t be normal either.

It’s these odd behaviors and thought patterns that made these leaders stand out. Their uncommon behavior created buzz. It drew people.

Your leadership can benefit from the same type of behavior.

Find opportunities to do work that is unexpected
By looking for and doing work that is unexpected, you start to stand out.

People will take notice. They’ll see the effort you’re putting into your brand. You’ll build their trust.

Richard Branson did this to Guy by shining his shoes with his jacket. What can you do to go the extra mile?

Look past what is wanted to what is needed
You will create new products and services that have never been seen before. This requires vision and guts.

People may tell you it won’t succeed. It’s never been done. No one wants it.

But Steve Jobs looked past the naysayers. They told him the iPod wouldn’t be successful. He pushed on and created a worldwide phenomenon.

What do you need to look past to create the next “needed” item or service?

Be willing to work with the untouchable
The down and out in our society often get overlooked.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”